Category: Bee Facts

Did you know that 85% of bee species are solitary? They are the unsung heroes of our pollinator world, generally having a far lower profile than either honey or bumblebees, and are outstanding pollinators.

Did you know that Japanese honeybees have developed an effective collective defense mechanism whereby they form a ‘bee ball’ around hornets that would otherwise devastate a hive. As the hornet enters the nest, a large mob of about 500 honey bees surrounds it, completely covering it and preventing it from moving, and beginRead more about Bee Facts – Japanese Honeybees[…]

Did you know that beekeepers use smoke to pacify bees? However, it doesn’t work quite how you might imagine. The bees think there is an emergency, eat their fill of honey and are too fat and full to be aggressive.

Did you know that a recent study from the University of Haifa reveals that bees prefer nectar with small amounts of nicotine and caffeine over nectar that does not contain these substances; the suggestion is that the plants may compete to give their pollinators this extra kick.

Did you know that if you give a bee cocaine, and it will start to dance in a wildly exaggerated fashion: it will dance much more enthusiastically and give the impression that it has found really great food, irrespective of whether or not it has. The theory is that the cocaine results in reward centresRead more about Bee Facts – Cocaine[…]

Did you know that bees who are drunk from fermented nectar have many more flying accidents than sober ones and can sometimes forget how to get back to their hive, dying as a result. Even if they make it back to the hive they can be rounded on by other bees who punish the drunkenRead more about Bee Facts – Drunken Bees[…]

Did you know that 17 different American states have the honeybee as the state insect, attracted by the bee’s reputation for hard work? However, up to two-thirds of a honeybee’s life is spent wandering around the hive doing pretty much nothing.

Did you know that there are three species of stingless bee in Thailand (Lisotrigona cacciae, L. furva and Pariotrigona klossi) that have been observed drinking tears from human eyes (as well as from those of dogs and cattle). They mostly landed on the lower eyelashes from where they imbibed tears for up to two minutes, often singly butRead more about Bee Facts – Tears[…]